Russian invasion The world's response

Russian media mocks Trump's submarine threat – Kremlin is silent

When Donald Trump suddenly announced yesterday that he is positioning two nuclear submarines closer to Russia, it received a lot of international attention – but not in Russia, writes the BBC's Russia correspondent Steve Rosenberg.

In the Kremlin-loyal media, Russian military experts dismiss the move.

– Meaningless chatter. That's how he gets his kicks, a retired general tells the newspaper Kommersant.

Another expert calls it an "outburst of anger" and a third questions whether Trump even gave the order.

From the authorities' side, the silence is deafening.

"Nothing from the Kremlin. Nothing from the Foreign Ministry. Nothing from the Defense Ministry. And I haven't seen anything about Russian submarines being positioned closer to the US," writes Rosenberg.

Analysis: Escalation of an increasingly frustrated Trump

Trump has won a series of victories lately – at the same time he is showing less and less patience with people who do not do as he wants, writes Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times.

The president constantly attacks the Fed boss who does not lower interest rates, fires the chief statistician who reports poor job figures – and sends nuclear submarines to a Russia that does not meet him at the negotiating table.

"Putin's Russia [...] has frustrated Trump and become a mocking reminder of his promise to end the Ukraine war on day one," writes Kanno-Youngs.

Normally, it is Moscow that rattles the weapons, but now it is Washington that is responsible for a dramatic escalation in the war of words, writes Ivor Bennett for Sky News.

The move indicates a sharp deterioration in Trump's relationship with Putin, he continues.

"We don't know where the submarines are, and how close they have moved to Russia, but this is much more significant than the usual verbal threats of sanctions."

Trump submarine threat - this has happened

August 1: Donald Trump orders two nuclear submarines to areas near Russia after statements from Kremlin hawk Dmitry Medvedev, according to posts on Truth Social.

Experts assess Trump's submarine order as a way to put pressure on Putin and signal seriousness, but see no risk of nuclear escalation.

August 2: Trump says the submarine move is a security measure after threatening statements from Medvedev and emphasizes the importance of caution.

Russian state media dismiss Trump's submarine order as meaningless chatter, while the Kremlin and the authorities remain silent.